R-31 (;

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

: SS-N-17 ''

Snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. ''Gallinago'' snipe have a nearly ...

''; bilateral arms control designation: RSM-45) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

submarine-launched ballistic missile A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from Ballistic missile submarine, submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which ...

. Development for the missile began in June 1971 at the

Arsenal Design Bureau Arsenal Design Bureau () is an engineering company active in the fields of space technology, ship artillery and civilian machine building. The company was founded in 1711 and is located in Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation. Its full nam ...

.Podvig, P. Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.p.329 It was fitted on only one Yankee II class submarine, originally for evaluation purposes. A first test flight took place from the Yankee II Class submarine K-140br>(photo)
in December 1976.Korabli VMF SSSR, Vol. 1, Part 1, Yu. Apalkov, Sankt Peterburg, 2003, The RS-16 was the first solid-fueled

ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range (aeronautics), range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more Thermonuclear weapon, thermonuclear warheads). Conven ...

in the Soviet Union's strategic arsenal. It was a two-stage delivery device armed with a single 500 kt

nuclear warhead A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission or atomic bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear weapon), producing a nuclear expl ...

. A particular practical benefit of the design was the quiet submerged launch system, which used the missile's own buoyancy to lift it to the surface. The missile entered service in March 1980, but was never installed in any other submarine other than the K-140, and was out of service by 1991. Apparently this missile was also capable of performing the duties of SLCMs, as the targeting distance could be varied drastically.

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Soviet Navy The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...

References

Sources

SS-N-17
at MissileThreat
MILNET: Strategic Missiles
{{Russian and Soviet missiles, SSM R-031 Arsenal Design Bureau products Arsenal Plant (Saint Petersburg) products Military equipment introduced in the 1980s